Fluid holding venetian blind cleaner



April 1957 s. GREENBERG FLUID HOLDING VENETIAN BLIND CLEANER Filed Dec. 18, 1953 INVENTOR S EYMOUR GREENBERG ATTORNEYS BY Mam WWW 1- FIG. I

Fl G. 2.

United States Patent FLUID HOLDING VENETIAN BLIND CLEANER Seymour Greenberg, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application December 18, 1953, Serial No. 399,026

2 Claims. (Cl. 15-131) This invention relates to a cleaning fluid holding; Venetian blind cleaner.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a device of this kind which automatically and simultaneously dampens and sponges both the top and bottom sides of a Venetian blind slat, and removes accumulated dust, dirt, soot and rain stains therefrom as the device is applied to and moved along the slat.

Another object of this invention is to provide a Venetian blind cleaning device of the character indicated above which is simple in construction, and inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.

Other and further objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the following specification when read in the light of the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of a Venetian blind slat cleaning device constructed in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view, partly in side elevation;

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 6 is a detail side elevation of one of the pivoted members of the device; and

Figure 7 is a detail side elevation of the other of the pivoted members.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the illustrated Venetian blind slat cleaner, generally designated 1, comprises two fiat elongated levers 3 and 5, which are crossed and are pivoted together at points intermediate their ends by a pin, rivet, screw, or other conventional fastening means 7. At one side of the pivot 7 the levers have loop handles 9 and 11 which have openings 13 and 15, respectively, to receive therethrough the thumb and fingers of the operator. At the other side of the pivot 7 the arm 17 of lever 3 is formed with a longitudinal concavely curved lower edge 19, which, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, is convex in cross section. The upper edge 21 of the arm 17 of the lever 3 is straight and has a longitudinal recess which is concave in transverse cross section (see Figures 4 and 5). The upper edge 21 terminates at its outward end in'an upstanding hook element 23, and the inner end of the upper edge terminates in an upwardly extending boss 25, the boss having a concavely curved outer edge 27 facing the hook, element 23.

The arm 28 of the lever 5 has a longitudinally convex upper edge 29 which is of convex transverse cross section. At the inner end of the upper edge 29 is an upwardly Tree projecting boss 31 having a straight vertical outer edge 33.

For a purpose to be described herein, the arms 17, 28 of the levers 3 and 5, are provided with longitudinally spaced, transversely extending apertures 35, 37 (see Figures 4 to 7), and longitudinally spaced vertical passages 39 extend through the upper and lower edges 21 and 19 of the arm 17 of the lever 3.

Elongated, substantially rectangular pads 41 formed of sponge rubber or of other flexible, porous and liquid absorbent material are conformably engaged along and across the edges 19 and 29 of the lever arms 17 and 28, and around the opposite sides of the arms 17 and 28, and close opposite ends of the apertures 35, 37. The pads are held in place by means of wire pins 43 which are inserted through the pads and through the apertures 35 and 37 in the arms 17 and 28.

An elongated cleaning fluid container 45 having an open outer end 47 and a closed inner end 49, and of substantial cylindrical cross section, is mounted in the recess in the upper edge 21 of the arm 17 of the lever 3. As seen in Figures 1 to 3, the closed end of the container 45 abuts against and conforms to the edge 27 of the boss 25, and the open end 47 of the container is positioned beneath the hook element 23. Seated in the open end of the container is a plastic ring 51 which forms a liquid seal and is constructed with a substantially centrally disposed aperture 53 which is closed by a plug or stopper 55.

Referring to Figures 3 and 5, it is seen that the underside of the side wall of the container 45 is provided with longitudinally spaced openings 57 which, when the device is assembled, register with the passages 39. Thus water or other liquid within the container 45 passes freely into the upper pad 41, and the lower pad 42 is dampened by contact with the upper pad 41 whenever the two pads are engaged with each other.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the facing edges of the pads 41, 42 follow the curvature of the arm edges 19, 29 and that their contours correspond to the contours of the upper and lower sides of the curved Venetian blind slat 59, as shown in Figure 3. As also shown in Figure 3, the boss edge 33 projects above the lower pad 42 a distance somewhat greater than the thickness of the slat 59 and provides an abutment for the adjacent edge of the slat 59 to prevent the slat from passing this point and jamming the scissor action of the levers.

From the foregoing it is obvious that with the slat 59 gripped between the pads 41, 42 described, the operator need only move the device 1 longitudinally of the slat to remove accumulated dirt and dust therefrom.

Having described and illustrated one embodiment of this invention in detail, it will be understood that the same is offered by way of example, and that the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cleaner for a curved Venetian blind slat, first and second levers each having an arm on one end and a handle on the other end, said levers being crossed and pivoted together at points intermediate said arms and handles, the arm of the first lever being an upper arm and the arm of the second lever being a lower arm, said upper arm having a longitudinal concavely curved lower edge having a convex cross section, said lower arm having a longitudinal convexly curved upper edge having a convex cross section, the lower edge of the upper arm and the upper edge of the lower arm facing each other and conforming in contour to the upper and lower sides of a curved Venetian blind slat, upper and lower porous and compressible pads secured to and conformably extending along and across the facing edges of the arms and extending around the Opposite sides of the arms, said upper arm having at least one vertical passage therethrough, and an upper edge, and a hollow cleaning fluid container secured on and extending along the upper edge oi the upper arm, said container having a side wall provided with at least one opening registered with said vertical passage.

2. In a cleaner for a curved Venetian blind slat, first and second levers each having an arm on one end and a handle on the other end, said levers being crossed and pivoted together at points intermediate said arms and handles, the arm of the first lever being an upper arm and the arm of the second lever being a lower arm, said upper arm having a longitudinal concavely curved lower edge having a convex cross section, said lower arm having a longitudinal convexly curved upper edge having a convex cross section, the lower edge of the upper arm and the upper edge of the lower arm facing each other and conforming in contour to the upper and lower sides of a curved Venetian blind slat, upper and lower porous and compressible pads secured to and conformably extending along and across the facing edges of the arms and extending around the opposite sides of the arms, said upper arm having at least one vertical passage therethrough,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 71,036 Merrit Nov. 19, 1867 1,331,984 Fiorentini Feb. 24, 1920 1,885,105 Boudette Nov. 1, 1932 2,452,107 Cranney Oct. 26, 1948 2,488,334 Schryner Nov. 15, 1949 2,599,420 Westhofi et al June 3, 1952 2,622,256 Vojacek Dec. 23, 1952 2,624,899 Smith Jan. 13, 1953 2,658,221 Nieoli Nov. 10, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 92,054 Sweden Apr. 21, 1938 Switzerland Dec. 16, 1952 

